First Settlers
Mission Dolores
The Spanish were the first western European explorers to settle the land that is now San Francisco. Because the Bay was hidden from the coast, it was not until land explorers looked down from the east that the Spanish realized the immense opportunity such a settlement would afford. In 1776, the Spanish established both a presidio and mission (called Mission Dolores) near the top of the Bay peninsula [10].
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Yerba Buena
When Mexico declared its independence from Spain in 1821, San Francisco became a Mexican territory, which led to fewer trade regulations and increased secularization [23]. Open trading practices brought English and American seamen to the area, and several began to settle there—forming a community that came to be known as Yerba Buena [23].
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